In the past decade I have seen some excellent comedy on television, but nothing quite as brilliant as Arrested Development. I think all of us who loved that show when it ran three seasons, 2003 to 2006, wished we could do anything to save it. We always had to hear how it just couldn't muster enough viewers, so we told as many friends as we could about it, hoping it would catch on. Couldn't this show follow American Idol, just a few times, and get some of those viewers? Well now, the show is coming back to Netflix, with new episodes in 2013.

Arrested Development Marks Second Original Series for Netflix

The debut of the Kevin Spacey-David Fincher produced House of Cards is slated for late 2012, and will be Netflix' first original series as they continue to battle for disgruntled cable subscribers. Arrested Development is a fantastic acquisition, a show with a tremendous cult following that has been looking for a renewal or at the very least, a movie, for five years. Twentieth Century Fox, along with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's production company Imagine Entertainment, will produce the series. Fans and new fans alike will be able to just stream it, and not worry about its ratings.

I don't think we'll see a Family Guy type of story here, where the show comes back and continues to crank out seasons well after its original cancellation. There are potential scheduling conflicts, with Will Arnett (Gob), currently on the modest hit NBC show Up All Night, which may get a second season, and Portia De Rossi (Lindsay), who doesn't have anything on her IMDB page blocking a return, but that's another cast member who is in doubt.

Still, you have to think where there's a will, there's a way. Jason Bateman, who became a go-to comedy star after the show's release, has said that they are looking for a summer 2012 production schedule. And we may still see a movie, yet. This is incredible news for Arrested Development fans. Here's hoping 2013 will be full of new Arrested content.

About the Author - Chris Atkinson

Chris Atkinson joined ReelSEO in 2011. He is a longtime film and television reviewer, and has almost two decades of experience in the theater industry. He also writes on his personal blog - http://nymoviereviews.com. View All Posts By - Chris Atkinson